21 to 23 July. V E Walker of Middlesex, playing for EnglandversusSurrey at The Oval, took all ten wickets in the Surrey first innings and followed by scoring 108 in the England second innings, having been the not out batsman in the first (20*). He took a further four wickets in Surrey’s second innings. England won by 392 runs.

7 September. Departure of cricket’s first-ever touring team. A famous photograph was taken on board ship before they sailed from Liverpool. The team of English professionals went to North America and played five matches, winning them all. There were no first-class fixtures. The 12-man squad was:

1.
Cricket
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Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a cricket field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long pitch with a wicket at each end. One team bats, attempting to score as many runs as possible, each phase of play is called an innings. After either ten batsmen have been dismissed or a number of overs have been completed, the innings ends. The winning team is the one that scores the most runs, including any extras gained, at the start of each game, two batsmen and eleven fielders enter the field of play. The striker takes guard on a crease drawn on the four feet in front of the wicket. His role is to prevent the ball hitting the stumps by use of his bat. The other batsman, known as the non-striker, waits at the end of the pitch near the bowler. A dismissed batsman must leave the field, and a teammate replaces him, the bowlers objectives are to prevent the scoring of runs and to dismiss the batsman. An over is a set of six deliveries bowled by the same bowler, the next over is bowled from the other end of the pitch by a different bowler. If a fielder retrieves the ball enough to put down the wicket with a batsman not having reached the crease at that end of the pitch. Adjudication is performed on the field by two umpires, the laws of cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council and the Marylebone Cricket Club. Traditionally cricketers play in all-white kit, but in limited overs cricket they wear club or team colours. In addition to the kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball. Although crickets origins are uncertain, it is first recorded in south-east England in the 16th century and it spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, leading to the first international matches in the mid-19th century. ICC, the governing body, has over 100 members. The sport is followed primarily in Australasia, Britain, the Indian subcontinent, southern Africa, womens cricket, which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. A number of words have been suggested as sources for the term cricket, in the earliest definite reference to the sport in 1598 it is called creckett. One possible source for the name is the Old English cricc or cryce meaning a crutch or staff, in Samuel Johnsons Dictionary, he derived cricket from cryce, Saxon, a stick

2.
The Oval
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The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth, South London. The Oval has been the ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since it was opened in 1845. It was the first ground in England to host international Test cricket in September 1880, the final Test match of the English season is traditionally played there. In addition to cricket, The Oval has hosted a number of historically significant sporting events. In 1870, it staged Englands first international match, versus Scotland. It hosted the first FA Cup final in 1872, as well as those between 1874 and 1892, in 1876, it held both the England v Wales and England v Scotland rugby international matches, and in 1877, rugbys first Varsity match. The Oval is built on part of the former Kennington Common, Cricket matches were played on the common throughout the early 18th century. The earliest recorded match was the London v Dartford match on 18 June 1724. However, as the common was used regularly for public executions of those convicted at the Surrey Assizes. Kennington Common was eventually enclosed in the mid 19th century under a scheme sponsored by the Royal Family, in 1844, the site of the Kennington Oval was a market garden owned by the Duchy of Cornwall. Hence, Surrey County Cricket Club was established in 1845, the popularity of the ground was immediate and the strength of the SCCC grew. On 3 May 1875 the club acquired the remainder of the leasehold for a term of 31 years from the Otter Trustees for the sum of £2,800. In 1868,20,000 spectators gathered at The Oval for the first game of the 1868 Aboriginal cricket tour of England, the first tour of England by any foreign side. Thanks to C. W. Alcock, the Secretary of Surrey from 1872 to 1907, the Oval, thereby, became the second ground to stage a Test, after Melbourne Cricket Ground. In 1882, Australia won the Test by seven runs within two days, the Sporting Times printed a mocking obituary notice for English cricket, which led to the creation of the Ashes trophy, which is still contested whenever England plays Australia. The first Test double century was scored at The Oval in 1884 by Australias Billy Murdoch, surreys ground is noted as having the first artificial lighting at a sports arena, in the form of gas-lamps, dating to 1889. The current pavilion was completed in time for the 1898 season, in 1907, South Africa became the 2nd visiting Test team to play a Test match at the ground. In 1928, the West Indies played its first Test match at The Oval, in 1936, India became the fifth foreign visiting Test side to play at The Oval, followed by Pakistan in 1954 and Sri Lanka in 1998

3.
Liverpool
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Liverpool is a major city and metropolitan borough in North West England.24 million people in 2011. Liverpool historically lay within the ancient hundred of West Derby in the south west of the county of Lancashire and it became a borough from 1207 and a city from 1880. In 1889 it became a county borough independent of Lancashire, Liverpool sits on the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary and its growth as a major port is paralleled by the expansion of the city throughout the Industrial Revolution. Along with general cargo, freight, raw materials such as coal and cotton, the city was also directly involved in the Atlantic slave trade. Liverpool was home to both the Cunard and White Star Line, and was the port of registry of the ocean liner RMS Titanic and others such as the RMS Lusitania, Queen Mary, and Olympic. The city celebrated its 800th anniversary in 2007, and it held the European Capital of Culture title together with Stavanger, Norway, several areas of Liverpool city centre were granted World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2004. The Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City includes the Pier Head, Albert Dock, tourism forms a significant part of the citys economy. Liverpool is also the home of two Premier League football clubs, Liverpool and Everton, matches between the two being known as the Merseyside derby, the world-famous Grand National horse race takes place annually at Aintree Racecourse on the outskirts of the city. The city is home to the oldest Black African community in the country. Natives of Liverpool are referred to as Liverpudlians and colloquially as Scousers, a reference to scouse, the word Scouse has also become synonymous with the Liverpool accent and dialect. Pool is a place name element in England from the Brythonic word for a pond, inlet, or pit, cognate with the modern Welsh. The derivation of the first element remains uncertain, with the Welsh word Llif as the most plausible relative and this etymology is supported by its similarity to that of the archaic Welsh name for Liverpool Llynlleifiad. Other origins of the name have suggested, including elverpool. The name appeared in 1190 as Liuerpul, and it may be that the place appearing as Leyrpole, in a record of 1418. King Johns letters patent of 1207 announced the foundation of the borough of Liverpool, the original street plan of Liverpool is said to have been designed by King John near the same time it was granted a royal charter, making it a borough. The original seven streets were laid out in an H shape, Bank Street, Castle Street, Chapel Street, Dale Street, Juggler Street, Moor Street, in the 17th century there was slow progress in trade and population growth. Battles for the town were waged during the English Civil War, in 1699 Liverpool was made a parish by Act of Parliament, that same year its first slave ship, Liverpool Merchant, set sail for Africa. Since Roman times, the city of Chester on the River Dee had been the regions principal port on the Irish Sea

4.
John Major
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Sir John Major, KG, CH, PC is a British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997. A cabinet minister from 1987, he served Margaret Thatcher in the Treasury, Major was Member of Parliament for Huntingdon from 1979 to 2001. He is currently the oldest living former Prime Minister, following the death of Thatcher on 8 April 2013, at the beginning of his premiership, Major presided over British participation in the Gulf War in March 1991 and negotiated the Maastricht Treaty in December 1991. Shortly after this, even though a supporter of the ERM. This event led to a loss of confidence in Conservative economic policies, Major went on to lose the 1997 general election months later, in one of the largest electoral defeats since the Great Reform Act of 1832. After defeat, Major resigned as Prime Minister and was succeeded as Leader of the Conservative Party by William Hague and he went on to retire from active politics, leaving the House of Commons at the 2001 general election. Major was born in 1943 at St Helier Hospital in Sutton, Surrey and he was christened John Roy Major but only John was recorded on his birth certificate. He used his name until the early 1980s. He attended primary school at Cheam Common and from 1954 he attended Rutlish School, in 1955, with his fathers garden ornaments business in decline, the family moved to Brixton. He also credited a chance meeting with former Prime Minister Clement Attlee on the Kings Road shortly afterwards, Major left school at the age of 16 in 1959 with three O-levels in History, English Language and English Literature. He later gained three more O-levels by correspondence course, in the British Constitution, Mathematics and Economics, Majors first job was as a clerk in the insurance brokerage firm Pratt & Sons in 1959. Major joined the Young Conservatives in Brixton at this time, Major was almost 19 years old when his father died at the age of 82 on 27 March 1962. His mother died eight and a years later in September 1970 at the age of 65. After Major became Prime Minister it was misreported that his failure to get a job as a bus conductor resulted from his failing to pass a maths test and he had in fact passed all of the necessary tests but had been passed over owing to his height. After a period of unemployment, Major started working at the London Electricity Board in 1963 which is incidentally his successor as Prime Minister, Tony Blair. He later decided to undertake a course in banking. Major took up a post as an executive at the Standard Chartered Bank in May 1965 and he was sent to work in Jos, Nigeria, by the bank in 1967 and he nearly died in a car accident there. Major was interested in politics from an early age, encouraged by fellow Conservative Derek Stone, he started giving speeches on a soap-box in Brixton Market

5.
History of cricket to 1725
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The earliest definite reference to cricket is dated Monday,17 January 1597. Derricks testimony makes clear that the sport was being played c.1550, All that can be said with a fair degree of certainty is that its beginning was earlier than 1550, somewhere in south-east England within the counties of Kent, Sussex and Surrey. Therefore, forest clearings and land where sheep had grazed would have been suitable places to play, the sparse information available about the early years suggests that it may have been a childrens game in the 16th century but, by 1611, it had become an adult pastime. The earliest known organised match was played c.1611, a year in other significant references to the sport are dated. From 1611 to 1725, less than thirty matches are known to have been organised between recognised teams, similarly, only a limited number of players, teams and venues of the period have been recorded. The earliest matches played by English parish teams are examples of village cricket, although village matches are now considered minor in status, the early matches are significant in crickets history simply because they are known. There were no reports of matches until the end of the seventeenth century and so the primary sources are court records and private diaries. During the reign of Charles I, the took a increased interest as patrons. Its patrons staged lucrative eleven-a-side matches featuring the earliest professional players, meanwhile, English colonists had introduced cricket to North America and the West Indies, and the sailors and traders of the East India Company had taken it to the Indian subcontinent. In the first quarter of the 18th century, more information about cricket became available as the newspaper industry took an interest. The sport noticeably began to spread throughout England as the century went on, by 1725, significant patrons such as Edwin Stead, Charles Lennox, 2nd Duke of Richmond and Sir William Gage were forming teams of county strength in Kent and Sussex. The earliest known great players, including William Bedle and Thomas Waymark, were active, Cricket was attracting large, vociferous crowds and the matches were social occasions at which gambling and alcoholic drinks were additional attractions. As early as c.1611, a match was recorded at Chevening in Kent between teams representing the Downs and the Weald. A number of words in use at the time are thought to be possible sources for the name cricket. In the earliest known reference to the sport in 1598, it is called creckett, in what may be an early reference to the sport, a 1533 poem attributed to John Skelton describes Flemish weavers as kings of crekettes, a word of apparent Middle Dutch origin. In Samuel Johnsons Dictionary of the English Language, he derived cricket from cryce, Saxon, in Old French, the word criquet seems to have meant a kind of club or stick, though this may have been the origin of croquet. Another possible source is the Middle Dutch word krickstoel, meaning a long low stool used for kneeling in church, according to Heiner Gillmeister, a European language expert of the University of Bonn, cricket derives from the Middle Dutch phrase for hockey, met de sen. Gillmeister believes the sport itself had a Flemish origin but the jury is out on the matter

6.
Marylebone Cricket Club
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Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London, founded in 1787. It owns, and is based at, Lords in St Johns Wood, MCC was formerly the governing body of cricket both in England and Wales as well as worldwide. In 1993 many of its functions were transferred to the International Cricket Council and its English governance passed to the Test. MCC revised the Laws of Cricket in 1788 and continues to reissue them, since its foundation, the club has raised its own teams which are essentially occasional and have never taken part in any formal competition. Depending on the quality of the opposition in any match, MCC teams have held important match status from 1787 to 1894. MCC has never played in a List A match, MCC teams play many matches against minor opposition and, on these occasions, they relinquish their first-class status. Traditionally, to mark the beginning of each English season in April, MCC plays the reigning County Champions at Lords, the exact date of MCCs foundation is lost but seems to have been sometime in the late spring or the summer of 1787. Many of its members became dissatisfied with the surroundings and complained that the site was too public. They asked Thomas Lord, a bowler at the White Conduit, to secure a more private venue within easy distance of London. When Lord opened his new ground in May 1787, the White Conduit moved there, there was a match at Lords starting on 30 July 1787 titled Marylebone Cricket Club v White Conduit Club. The England touring team wore the red and yellow stripes of the Marylebone Cricket Club as their colours for the last time on the tour to New Zealand in 1996/97. The true provenance of MCCs colours is unknown, but its players often turned out sporting Sky Blue, until well into the 19th century. Another theory, which chimes with the origins, is that MCC borrowed its colours from the livery colours of a founding patron, Charles Lennox, 4th Duke of Richmond. Although MCC remains the framer and copyright holder of the Laws of Cricket, in recent times the ICC has begun instituting changes to match regulations without much consultation with MCC. Also, in moving its location from Lords to Dubai, the ICC gave a signal of breaking with the past and from MCC, changes to the laws of cricket are still made by the MCC. Any changes to these require a resolution of the MCC committee. MCC has long had an involvement in coaching the game of cricket. As of 2013 the clubs head coach Mark Alleyne heads an operation involving the running of an indoor-cricket school

7.
John Wisden
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John Wisden was an English cricketer who played 187 first-class cricket matches for three English county cricket teams, Kent, Middlesex and Sussex. He is now best known for launching the eponymous Wisden Cricketers Almanack in 1864, Wisden was born in Crown Street, Brighton. His father, William, was a builder and he attended Brightons Middle Street School. He moved to London after his father died, and lived with the wicket-keeper Tom Box. In July 1845, aged 18, only 5 ft 6 in and weighing just 7 stone, he made his first-class debut for Sussex against MCC, taking 6 wickets in the first innings and three in the second. He joined the All-England Eleven in 1846, moving allegiance to the United All-England Eleven in 1852 and he was engaged to marry George Parrs sister Annie in 1849, but she died before the wedding, and he never married. Initially a fast roundarm bowler, before overarm bowling was permitted, his pace slowed in later years so he bowled medium pace, while bowling fast, he took on average nearly 10 wickets in each game. In 1850, when he was playing for the South against the North at Lords, his off-cutter technique won him 10 wickets in the second innings and he played almost all of his cricket in England, mostly for Sussex, but once for Kent and thrice for Middlesex. He travelled with a team led by George Parr to Canada and the US in 1859. Of moderate height, he was nicknamed the Little Wonder after the winner of the Epsom Derby in 1840 and he was said to be the best all-rounder of his day. In all, he took 1,109 first-class wickets with a average of 10.32. He scored 4,140 first-class runs with a average of 14.12. He was also the coach at Harrow School from 1852 to 1855, and owned The Cricketers. He retired from cricket in 1863 at the early age of 37 as a result of rheumatism. He also published in Cricket and How to Play It in 1866, in retirement he developed his business into a manufacturer and retailer of equipment for many sports, not just cricket. The shop moved to Cranbourn Street near Leicester Square in 1872, after his death the business grew into a major international sports brand, receiving a Royal Warrant in 1911 as Athletic Outfitters to the King. The business went into receivership in 1939, and was acquired in 1943 by a Co-operative society, Grays then ceased to use Wisden as an equipment brand, but re-established John Wisden & Co as the publisher of the Cricketers Almanack. It is now an imprint of Wisdens owner, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Wisden died of cancer, at the age of 57, in the flat above his Cranbourn Street shop

8.
Julius Caesar (cricketer)
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Julius Caesar was a Surrey cricketer who played 194 first-class cricket matches between 1849 and 1867. Julius Caesar was born to Benjamin Caesar, an English professional cricketer, Benjamin and Anne had seven children. George, Richard, Lawrence William, Ann, Benjamin, Frederick Bowler and he was brought up in Godalming, a town with approximately 4,000 inhabitants, in Surrey, England. He was almost certainly educated in one of the two schools in Godalming at the time, and could read and write with a legible hand, Benjamin himself played cricket, and his brother Fred later played first-class cricket too. Caesars cricketing skills first attracted local press attention when he was 16, Caesar went in first and obtained five which, with one wide, made six. Coomber fetched three runs which, with three wides, made six, Caesar for his second innings got 49, and wides three, making a total with the first of 58. Coomber followed and, after 35 balls were delivered, obtained no run and scored only one wide, the lad promises to be as noted in the game of cricket as his ancient namesake was in the art of war. The Godalming club are ready to back him against any lad of his age in the County of Surrey and he found an influential friend in the Marshall family, proprietors of a local timber merchants. Henry Marshall was the first mayor of Godalming in 1836 and he was also a prominent member of Surrey County Cricket Club, which was formed in 1845, and president of Surrey club from 1856 to 1867. In 1848 Caesar first played at the Oval, for Goldalming cricket club against Surrey, against a mostly professional attack Caesar made 67 and 46 as Godalming scored 161 and 192 for 5 and dismissed Surrey for 158 before Surrey gave up. In June 1849,10 weeks after his 19th birthday, and on the recommendation of Alexander Marshall and he played for the Players of Surrey XI against the countys gentlemen. Caesar played off the front foot, and was a batsman, and made 30 in his innings. On 28 and 29 June Caesar first played inter-county cricket, taking on Sussex at the Oval and he did better in the return match at Petworth 3 weeks later, scoring 30, however, Surrey fared worse, losing by an innings. On 6 and 7 August, Caesar first came across William Clarke as Surrey took on England at the Oval, Caesar opened the batting for Surrey, scoring 18 after hitting away in good style. In the second innings, Caesar was out to Clarke himself, after playing back to him, Surrey went on to beat England by 31 runs. Caesar completed the 1849 with a 25 for the Players of Surrey against Twenty Gentlemen of Surrey Club in the match which the Players won by 2 wickets. The wages for a professional around this time, though varied, would have been around £4 a match for a draw or loss. Sometimes, if there was an achievement, such as a half-century

9.
V. E. Walker
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Vyell Edward Walker was an English cricketer and administrator. Edward Walker was born in Southgate, Middlesex and educated at Harrow School and he was the fifth of seven cricket playing brothers who resided at Arnos Grove. They played a part in establishing the Middlesex County Cricket Club. Their cricket ground in Southgate is maintained by the Walker Trust to this day, Edward Walker was a right-handed batsman and an underarm slow right arm bowler who represented MCC, a Middlesex XI and Middlesex CCC. In 1859 for an All-England Eleven against Surrey County Cricket Club at The Oval he scored 20 not out, in the second innings he scored 108 not out and took another 4 wickets. This was in a season where only 2 other centuries were scored in first class matches and he also took 10 for 104 for Middlesex against Lancashire in 1865. A fine driving bat and perhaps the leading lob bowler of his day as well as a captain of Middlesex. He captained the county club and also served as President of the Marylebone Cricket Club and he died at Arnos Grove, aged 68. Middlesex County Cricket Club The Walkers of Southgate Cricinfo Cricket Archive Middlesex CCC Official website Cricinfo page on V. E

10.
Robert Carpenter (cricketer)
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Robert Pearson Carpenter was an English first-class cricketer active 1855–76, generally acknowledged to be one of the outstanding batsmen of the 1850s and 1860s. He was a batsman, usually opening the innings. He played mostly for Cambridge Town Club and the United All-England Eleven, in 1859, Carpenter went to North America as a member of the first-ever overseas tour undertaken by the England team and, in 1862–63, was in the England team to Australia and New Zealand. He umpired in two Test matches between England and Australia in the 1880s and his son Herbert played for Essex. Carpenters known first-class career spanned the 1855 to 1876 seasons and he scored 5,220 runs in 141 matches @24.39, making four centuries with a highest score of 134. A noted fielder, he held 190 catches and made two stumpings and he also toured Australia with Parr in 1863. In the early 1860s, Carpenter and his Cambridgeshire contemporary Thomas Hayward were rated the finest batsmen in England, richard Daft was among those ranking them as equal first, but George Parr reckoned Carpenter the better of the two. W. G. Grace said of Carpenter that he may be placed as one of the finest of our great batsmen. Carpenter played in the Gentlemen v Players fixture for the Players on many occasions, in the 1860 match, he hit a ball clean out of The Oval. A History of Cricket, Volume 1, swanton, E. W. ed. Barclays World of Cricket. A Social History of English Cricket, Cricket, A History of its Growth and Development

11.
William Caffyn
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William Billy Caffyn was a famous English cricketer who played for Surrey CCC and the All-England Eleven. Caffyn was a genuine all-rounder being a middle order right-handed batsman. He played a part in the success of Surrey during the 1850s. Caffyns known first-class career spanned the 1849 to 1873 seasons and he took 602 wickets in 200 matches at an average of 13.47 runs each with a best analysis of 9/29. He took five wickets in an innings 49 times and 10 wickets in an innings 11 times and he scored 5885 runs at an average of 17.99 with a highest score of 103, making 2 centuries. In 1860 whilst employed as a professional at Winchester College he played, Caffyn made scores of 35 and 1, and with two men fielding for him he bowled out the opposition for 4 and 4. Caffyn was instrumental in the development of Australian cricket and the establishment of Anglo-Australian competition. After a term in Melbourne, he moved to Sydney where he started a business with his wife. During this time he was associated with fellow ex-Surrey professional cricketer Charles Lawrence who coached at the Albert Cricket Club in Sydney. It is a source of the greatest satisfaction to me that I have in some measure contributed to the state of things. He also played in the first Anglo-Australian first-class cricket match, played from 1 March 1862 and dubbed The World v Surrey, the first Test match was not played until 15 years later in March 1877. He returned to England in May 1871 and died at his home in Surrey at the age of 91 and his house still remains at Sydneyville 20 Parkgate Road, Reigate, unaltered from the time he resided there, the name a testament to his time in Australia. John Arlott rated highly his book of reminiscences Seventy-one Not out, Arlott wrote. despite its literary limitations, Seventy-one Not out is an essential book for anyone who wants to understand the history of cricket

12.
George Parr (cricketer)
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George Parr was an English cricketer, whose first-class career lasted from 1844 to 1870. Known popularly as the Lion of the North, Parr was a right-handed batsman, throughout his career he played mainly for Nottinghamshire, and was club captain from 1856 to 1870. He also made appearances for other counties and for Marylebone Cricket Club. He was a stalwart of the All-England Eleven and was captain of the first England touring team and he also captained Englands second tour to Australia and New Zealand in 1864, returning home unbeaten. Parr played in 207 first-class matches and had 358 innings, in 30 of which he was not out and he scored 6,626 runs at a time when conditions greatly favoured bowlers. His highest score was 130 for Nottinghamshire, against Surrey at The Oval on 14 July 1859 and he made 31 fifties and took 126 catches. He took 29 wickets in his career with a best analysis of 6/42, the Parr Stand which was recently replaced at Trent Bridge was named in his honour